Bachelor of Science in Political Science

at EDUCO - University of Nebraska - Lincoln USA

We aim to develop both the mindset and skillset that will make our graduates outstanding global citizens who are effective in one of six functional areas, namely: business administration (i.e., general international business), economics, finance, management, marketing, and supply chain management and analytics. Our international business (IB) major is designed to give students a combination of skills in a functional area (i.e., a specialization) and global business.  Therefore, international business graduates pursue careers in one of the six areas they choose to specialize in.

To succeed in international business, one must thrive in unfamiliar and dynamic conditions. Cultural and language barriers, socioeconomic diversity, geopolitical tensions, and unstable legal regimes are some of the constant challenges we prepare our students to face. These conditions are present in domestic and international markets.

Excelling within such conditions requires a high level of understanding, patience, judgment and other social skills.  International Business students are well-grounded and confident even when they face being wrong in order to get it right. Their quest for understanding breeds good judgment and intuition to lead through empathy.

We push students to become aware of cognitive biases that permeate all human interaction and impede understanding and decision making. We give them tools to control their own biases using mindfulness practice. We also nurture skills for framing discussions to avoid biases in others. We study techniques developed in international diplomacy for negotiation in the international context. The ethical dilemmas common to international business and how they appear in everyday dealings are examined.

Our rigorous coursework draws on practical academic disciplines that prepare students to perform different business functions. In addition, we constantly strive to develop students’ skills and feed their intellectual curiosity. We require students to advance their foreign language skills, not simply for practical reasons but to develop empathy and neuroplasticity; and we require an international internship or practicum to develop character and experience. Finally, students immerse within the global context to challenge and develop their skills through our global immersion programs where they work on multidisciplinary projects in established markets (e.g., parts of Europe) as well as in frontier markets, including Africa, Asia, and South America.

What you will learn
The international business major combines the solid base of a bachelor of arts in business administration with advanced language study, international experience and academic studies in international business. Students in international business study the business practices of other nations and learn how international trade laws affect the world economy. They also learn about the culture and management methods that differ around the globe.

Chemistry deals with the analysis, structure, properties, and synthesis of matter ranging in size from single atoms to biologically-active small molecules to DNA and proteins. A degree in chemistry prepares students for many career options: industry (research, analysis, production), teaching, graduate studies, or professional schools. Chemistry is also a valuable second major for students completing degrees in a number of science, math, or engineering disciplines.

Chemistry deals with the analysis, structure, properties, and synthesis of matter ranging in size from single atoms to biologically-active small molecules to DNA and proteins. A degree in chemistry prepares students for many career options: industry (research, analysis, production), teaching, graduate studies, or professional schools. Chemistry is also a valuable second major for students completing degrees in a number of science, math, or engineering disciplines.

A major in sociology within the College of Arts and Sciences provides students with vital intellectual and occupational skills. This includes analytical thinking; creative problem solving; effective written and oral communication; collecting, analyzing and interpreting data; and gaining expertise regarding the impact of social and cultural dynamics on individual and societal trends. Students may pursue broad training in sociology, or they may pursue a specific Focus Area, such as Crime/Deviance, Family, Health, Social Inequality, or Social Research. We also encourage students strongly to seize the opportunities provided for internships and a variety of research experiences, which play a key role in helping students define their career trajectory and build a resumé.

Our majors pursue careers in a variety of fields that reflect their substantive expertise, such as:

• Social-Justice Related Activism
• Law and Criminal Justice
• Education and Social/Human Services
• Research—especially public health and medicine, public opinion research, market research/marketing, as well as occupations requiring data collection, analysis, and project direction skills (e.g., nursing, policy work, journalism, engineering, computational sciences)
• Public Service/Government and Administration
• Private-sector for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations
• Management and Human Resources

We also encourage students to combine their interest in sociology with one of the many interdisciplinary programs/certificates offered in the College of Arts and Sciences and beyond. This includes but is not limited to Conflict Resolution, Environmental Studies, Ethnic Studies, Global Studies, Human Rights, Humanities and Medicine, Public Policy, Women’s and Gender Studies, plus the Center for Great Plains Studies and the Center for Civic Engagement.

The Department of English seeks to help students develop their critical reading, writing, and thinking skills. In addition, we hope to foster imaginative reasoning, which we define as the ability to use the imagination to think hypothetically about the world in all its diversity—the past, present, and future, the local and the global. Such an ability, learned through the study of diverse literature and film, the critical analysis of language, and the generation of creative work, enables students to thoughtfully engage with social, cultural, and political phenomena. It allows students to re-envision what is possible and to dream audacious solutions to seemingly insoluble problems. Imaginative reasoning, both as a value and as a skill, connects us to one another and leads us to look beyond boundaries, including the boundary of our own selves and our most immediate communities.

The courses we offer, our teaching methods, and our departmental culture further several core goals: the pursuit of social justice, the celebration of diversity, the creation of a broad array of communities based on empathetic understanding, the fostering of a sense of belonging in all of our students, and the development of a desire for civic engagement and responsibility.

The plant biology major is designed to provide a flexible entry for undergraduate students that have an interest in the plant sciences. Once enrolled in the program, students will take a core of classes that will allow them to continue in the plant biology major or would also allow them to easily transfer to other Life Sciences programs. Students will have the opportunity to interact with the faculty of the Center for Plant Science Innovation as well as other departments and schools for advising and research opportunities.

The goal of the plant biology program is to offer a field of study to students who are interested and talented in the basic sciences and mathematics and who:

• May never have considered applying this knowledge to plants.
• Have always dreamed of this field of study.
• Have always had an interest in plants but are uncertain that this field of study is right for them.

Studying plant biology will allow students to explore and understand plants at molecular, cellular, physiological, organismal, population, and community levels and by taking ecological, evolutionary, agricultural, and horticultural perspectives. This is accomplished through required courses in different scientific fields (e.g., biology, biochemistry, chemistry, agronomy, horticulture) and through different options in the major (ecology and management option and biotechnology option).

The School of Art, Art History and Design offers students the opportunity to investigate visual art through a variety of experiences. The art major enables students to attain proficiency in the practice of art and knowledge of the history of art as part of a general college education. Some may want to devote themselves to a period of intensive studio art education, while others may be interested in pursuing art for the purpose of building cultural awareness and critical thinking skills. Two undergraduate degrees are available to art majors. The student’s career goals will determine the appropriate option.

The bachelor of arts degree (BA) is a liberal arts degree with about forty-five percent of the coursework in the School of Art, Art History and Design, providing the flexibility to study various academic disciplines outside of art. The bachelor of fine arts degree (BFA) is a professional degree, the usual preparation for professional careers or graduate study in studio art, and includes about seventy percent of the coursework from the School of Art, Art History and Design. Increased studio art requirements in the BFA allow for specialization within a chosen area or a customized studio experience.

The degree program in water science is designed to educate students in basic and applied sciences related to water resources. The goal is to educate individuals to gather and synthesize information from several disciplines, to formulate rational and broadly informed solutions to complex water related problems, and to effectively implement various water-based programs.

The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of students who intend to pursue careers in public and private organizations that conduct scientific water research or manage water resources, in private consulting companies that offer water research or management services, in agencies that form or implement water related policy, and in a broad range of nonprofit institutions that are interested in water resources. The program also provides students the opportunity to prepare for graduate study in water/hydrological sciences and water resources.

The advertising and public relations major prepares students for careers in a wide variety of communication-related areas. Recent graduates have accepted positions in more than 20 states and several other countries in diverse careers such as retail and corporate advertising and marketing, media sales, brand management, media planning, account management, research, public relations, media relations, special event planning, mobile and digital communications, creative concepting, sports media relations, digital insights and analytics, copywriting, and layout and design.

The advertising and public relations faculty members believe that a successful career must be built upon a solid foundation, an education that combines theory and practice. To achieve that end, the major offers courses in copywriting, layout, media planning, graphics, campaign development, research, management, coding, and strategic communications. The curriculum is designed to emphasize strategy, planning, and implementation in creative problem-solving.

Much emphasis is placed on individual relationships between faculty and students, an interaction vital to a student’s creative development. An advisor also helps each student tailor an academic plan to meet his or her interests and needs.

In advertising and public relations classes, students often work with actual clients who present real-life problems. This experience gives students a professional perspective on problem solving in many sectors including nonprofit, retail, small business, and community organizations as well as large corporations. Students are encouraged to augment their academic experience with internships.

Mechanical engineering is a broad field of study that significantly impacts many technologies, including those that expand our energy resources and improve medical care. Mechanical engineers are concerned with all forms of energy conversion and transmission; the flow of fluids and heat; the development, design, manufacturing, and operation of machinery and equipment; material structure and properties; solid and applied mechanics; and transportation processes. The course of study is designed to give the student fundamental preparation to enter the fields of research, design, operation, production, sales, or management.

The mechanical engineering curriculum is structured so that students are well prepared in the fundamental areas of solid mechanics, thermal-fluid sciences, systems and design engineering, and materials engineering. Students can develop an emphasis area of study by concentrating elective courses in specific interdisciplinary areas such as aerospace engineering, automotive engineering, robotics, biomedical engineering, computational methods, manufacturing, nanotechnology and others, depending upon the technical courses available and the interest of the student. Additionally, broader general education requirements are covered through the Achievement-Centered Education (ACE) program (ace.unl.edu); the mechanical engineering curriculum requirements cover ACE areas [1-4,8,10], and students may work with their academic advisor to select courses covering areas [5-7,9].

Mission Statement
The mission of the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at the University of Nebraska is to impact society locally and globally through our educational programs, research, and service, developing knowledge and sharing our expertise in the best traditions of land-grant universities. We strive for excellence in teaching and learning at both the undergraduate and graduate levels; seek to develop novel educational opportunities; grow our public and private support for research and education; and expand our scholarship, outreach, and service.

What you will learn
Mechanical engineers are considered the "general practitioners" of engineering because they solve a diverse range of problems. At UNL, students will choose among three major areas: thermal-fluid science engineering, systems and design engineering, and materials science engineering. Students will be able to practice what they learn in the classroom by joining clubs like the HUSKER racing team that designs and competes in contests like the national Baja race or NASA's Microgravity University (where UNL teams are chosen to help with NASA research in a zero gravity environment). Students also have numerous interactions with local industry for senior design projects. Companies provide projects for students, providing them real-life engineering problems and access to potential employers.